Gravity tray-carrier.



W. R. BANKSON.

GRAVITY TRAY CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED NOV.22, 1912.

1,168,459., Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

WILLIAM ROLAND BANKSON, OF ranrninsn, Kansas.

GRAVITY TRAY-CARRIER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

Application filed November 22, 1912. Serial No. 732,981.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM ROLAND Baxnson, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Partridge, inthe county of Reno and the Stateof Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GravityTray-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an'iinproved carrier and the principal objectof the same is to provide a carrier so constructed that the track may betilted and the carriage caused to travel from one end of the track tothe other.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means forsuspending the rails of the track and improved means for tilting thetrack and holding the rails at the desired incline.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type ofcarriage and to so construct the carriage as to have the same strong anddurable and not liable to jump the track.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of tray,the tray being so constructed that it. may be releasably connected withthe carriage.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of brake.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinFigure 1 is a view showing the track in side elevation. Fig. 2 is a viewshowing the carriage in top plan. Fig. 3 is a view showing the track inend elevation, and Fig. 4 is a view showing the tray in side elevation,a

portion of the wall of the tray being broken away.

The rails 10 of the track are carried by the hangers 11 which are intheir turn carried by the suspending rods12 pivotally connected with thebell-crank levers 13 and 1%. These rails are tapered upwardly in crosssection as shown in Fig. 3 in order to provide a good clearance spacebetween the,

rails and permit the carriage, hereinafter described, to travel freely.

In order to permit the track to be tilted the bell-crank levers aresuspended by their pins or axles 15 from the rods 16 which in their turnare carried by the hanger brackets 17 connected with the ceiling orother support 18. A line 19 as shown at the left of Fig. 1 will beconnected with each end of I the track, the line being passed over apulley 20 and having itsi'ree end extending to a point where it mav beeasily grasped bv the operator. It is desired to have the bellcranklevers move together and therefore a connecting rod or bar is provided,the rod being pivotally connected with the bellcrank levers and thuscausing them to move together. It should be noted that the lower arms ofthe levers 1% are longer than the arms of levers 13 so that the trackwill assume the proper incline when tilted.

' The car or carriage 22 shown in Fig. 2

is'mounted upon the track with the wheels the carriage reaches the endsof the track.

One of these brake strips is provided at each end of the track betweenthe end sets of hangers and is connected with rod 21 by the draw line 30so that when the track is tilted the brake strip at the upper end of thetrack will be raised out of engagement with the bar 28 and permit thecar to travel down the track.

When in use the track is installed where it is desired to use the sameand the car is put in place. This device is primarily extended to beused in conveying dishes from a dining room to a kitchen but it isobvious that it could be put to other uses such for instance as for usein a store to carry bundles and change from one point to another. lV henused in a dining room the dishes will be placed upon the tray 31 and thetray connected with the carriage by inserting the plugs 32 into thesockets 27. These plugs are carried by the block 33 which carries theyokes 31 and it will be readily seen that if desired the plugs can beleft in the sockets and the tray removed from the yokes when serving orcleaning the table.

I have therefore provided a device by means of which dishes or otherarticles can be easily conveyed from one portion of a room to anotherthe dishes being placed upon the tray and the line 19 being drawn totilt the track and raise the brake strips and release the'carriage. Itwill also be seen that when the car reaches the opposite end of thetrack its movement will be stopped by the brake strip and thus danger ofthedlshes cent'each end of said track between certain of said hangers, abar connecting the bellcrank levers of said hangers, a drau lineconnected with each end of said bar and with said brake strips, and acarriage mounted upon the rails of said track.

2'. A device of the character described including a track comprisinghanger brackets, suspending rodsconnected with said brackets, bell-cranklevers connected with said rods, suspending rods connected with saidlevers, hangers connectedwith said last mentioned rods, rails connectedwith said hangers, means for tipping said track, means for causing saidbell-crank leversto move in unison, and brake ineans operated from saidlast mentioned means.

'3. A'device of the character described including a track comprisingrails, hangers for saidrails including bellcrank levers, the lower armsof said levers increasing in length from the center toward the endportions of said track, means for causing said bell-crank leversto movetogether, brake means connected with said last mentioned said brakestrip, means for tilting said track and means for moving said brakestrip out of a position to engage said carriage strip when said track istilted;

WlLLlAM ROLAND BANKSON. Witnesses:

C. E. GRAVES,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addrcssingthe Commissioner of Patents.

7 Washington. D; C.

the character described 5

